About Tommy Lopez

SMITHVILLE, Miss. (WCBI Sports) - There’s lots of tradition at Smithville. The last stellar season was the undefeated year in 2009. Last season saw success: a 9-2 record with the only regular season loss coming to Vardaman by six points.

Bubba Tacker enters his eighth season as head man at Smithville. He says there are six returning starters on both sides of the ball and he’s excited about his seniors.

“We’ve got some really good seniors coming up this year and that whole group, their leadership ability in that group, their work ethic, I think that could be a major factor in a team,” Tacker said. “Of course we’ve got some young kids, some underclassmen that are great leaders too and play important roles also.”

One of the seniors is quarterback Drew Lann.

“He’s your coach on the field and Drew has matured and grown up a lot over the last two years. He had a great camp this year and we’re expecting lots from him this year,” Tacker said.

There won’t be any changes on offense. The Seminoles will throw when they need to. After two running backs graduated, the coaching staff says Tyler Hood will step in and help carry the load. Defensively, Tacker says he’s confident that his unit will be solid.

Lann says the team is only as strong as its weakest link.

“I think in football there’s always pressure on the quarterback but I know we have a good line and I’m pretty confident in them and my running back, he’s pretty good, so I’m confident in them. A lot of the pressure is on them,” Lann said.

The team says its itching to advance to the second round of the playoffs after losing in the first round to St. Joe’s last season.

“There are no more expectations to live up to than I put on myself, as any coach would. That’s the goal of every coach, to go out and affect the lives of young men and win some ball games,” Tacker said.